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Letters: Beware Of Phone Call Scams

I am writing to warn people of a scam that is happening. In the past three weeks, I’ve had many phone calls telling me I have won $1.5 million to $3.5 million. All of the callers had foreign accents.

The first call I received, I pretended to believe so I could get information to report to the authorities. The woman was very persuasive. My prize money would be delivered by UPS, accompanied by Homeland Security, and she asked if I wanted photographers to accompany or preferred private delivery. I would need to wire her $299 for security deposit, which would be returned when I got my check, and because their couriers have been robbed previously, I would need to keep this confidential.

I told her I didn’t have the money and she suggested that I borrow it from my bank and asked me which bank I used. I told her I didn’t have a bank account. She then suggested I use my credit card and asked me which ones I use. Again I told her I have no credit cards, so she asked that I borrow from a friend or relative. She would arrange for delivery the next day.

She had her boss, the CEO of Megamillions, who also had a foreign accent, to call and tell me my delivery arrangements had been made and reminded me to keep everything confidential. I told him that I knew everything was a sham and had reported it to local police and the FBI. He then hung up and I thought that was the end of it.

I have had 12 calls since then from men with foreign accents saying that I had won millions. I told the caller that I knew it was a sham, but they called back twice.

They have used names like UPS, Publisher’s Clearing House, Bank of America and Reader’s Digest in their pitch. Is there no way to stop these criminals? How did they get my information?